Religious Discussions

I think a lot of believers aren't aware of some of the vile and outrageous things in their holy books. Pro-slavery, pro-genocide, anti-women.

Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and forsake them in beds apart, and beat them." Quran 4:34

[Forbidden to you are] married women, except those whom you own as slaves." Quran 4:24

If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her. (Deut 22:28-29)

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. (Exodus 21:7)

However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way. (Leviticus 25:44-46)

I think a lot of believers aren't aware of some of the vile and outrageous things in their holy books. Pro-slavery, pro-genocide, anti-women.

I can't speak for any other faith, but how many practising Christians have ever read the Bible in its entirety? I went thought a phase of dipping into it out of curiosity and a lot of what I read, mostly in the OT, shocked and frightened me. I could not, and still cannot, understand how any right-thinking person can swallow that stuff without question and have trust and faith in this divine entity, this Heavenly Father, who, if the teachings of Jesus in the NT are to be believed, loves and cares for us. In fact there's such a strange dichotomy here that one can be forgiven for that there are two Gods.

Incidentally, I wonder if modern day Muslim men, despite all the biological evidence to the contrary, still believe that menstruating women are unclean, thereby following the diktat that menstruation "is an indisposition. Keep aloof from women during their menstrual periods and do not approach them until they are clean again." Quran 2:222. If they do, then surely that is on a par with modern day Christians who, again ignoring biological facts, believe the Bible's dogmatic exhortation that homosexuality is an "abomination" in the eyes of God, and therefore is not to be tolerated?

One solitary life.He was born in an obscure village,the child of a peasant woman.He grew up in another obscure village,where he worked as a carpenter until he was thirty.He never wrote a bookHe never held an officeHe never went to collegeHe never visited a big city.He never travelled more than 200 miles from the place where he was born.He did none of the things usually associated with greatness.He had no credentials but himself.He was only thirty three.

His friends ran away,one of them denied him.'He was trurned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a trial.He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.While dying his executioners gambled for his clothing.The only property he had on earth.

When he was dead,he was laid in a borrowed grave,through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today Jesus is the central figure of the human race. and the leader of mankinds progress.All the armies that have ever marched all the navys that have ever sailed,all the parliaments that have ever sat.All the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of mankind .As powefully as this ONE SOLITARY LIfe.

One solitary life.He was born in an obscure village,the child of a peasant woman.He grew up in another obscure village,where he worked as a carpenter until he was thirty.He never wrote a bookHe never held an officeHe never went to collegeHe never visited a big city.He never travelled more than 200 miles from the place where he was born.He did none of the things usually associated with greatness.He had no credentials but himself.He was only thirty three.

You forgot to mention in your list that he regularly demonstrated supernatural powers to the general public. But I suppose that would look a little out of place

Maybe they do, but I'm sure LOL can be used as a lot of things. Maybe Christians should start saying 'Love Our Lord' at the end of their prayers instead of 'Amen' ...

Well Amen means 'let it be' so we end our prayers with it because we are asking God to answer our prayers that 'let it be' as we have asked for or as he wishes

On the whole women thing, as one of the associate rectors as my church said in his sermon on MArk the other week- the first people to be told that Jesus was alive were women. They were given the news of the resurrection and all that means to with relation to the teachings of Christ, and told to go tell the others and share it. They were the first to be given this commission of telling people that Jesus had not only died but had arisen as he had foretold. The women who were with Jesus stayed with him throughout the crucifixion and did not run away. They did not deny him or betray him and they came to the tomb to care for his body.

I think that says it all about the place of women in positions of trust and authority within the 'church'.